** A tragedy at the heart of the Democratic Republic of Congo: the case of Kabeya Fiston **
The tragic death of the policeman Fiston Kabeya, which occurred on March 25, 2025, aroused a shock wave not only in the police, but also in the whole of Congolese society. The ambiguous circumstances surrounding his death raise essential questions on police brutality, the relations between different entities of power, and on the way in which conflicts within an institution can degenerate into fatal violence.
** The facts: what we know **
According to the testimonies presented during the current trial at the Military Court of Kinshasa-Gombe, Kabeya was attacked by security members of Prime Minister Judith Suminwa. A police officer who was on the scene, Mutombo Ilunga, reported having seen agents in civilian and military clothes hit Kabeya and drag him to a vehicle. This testimony, although striking, also gives way to gray areas. The observation distance and the difficulty of precisely identifying the attackers create an uncertainty around the validity of these allegations.
Deputy Higher Commissioner Olivier Kanza, the Prime Minister’s security in charge of the Prime Minister, replied that Kabeya would have been subject to “outrage to the head of government” and that no physical violence would have been inflicted. This verbal crossover, although revealing different rantings of the system, raises questions about the conduct of law agents and their responsibilities when tensions occur.
** The implications of such an act **
The death of Fiston Kabeya is tragic, and it should not be considered an isolated incident. It is part of a larger context where police brutality and impunity are perceived as systemic problems in the Democratic Republic of Congo. These events question the culture of respect for human rights and the authority that certain state agents give themselves to exercise violence in the name of the law.
This situation exposes the urgent need for a reform within the police and judicial institutions. How can we ensure that members of the security forces respect citizens’ law while exercising their protection function? What role does continuing education and awareness of ethics play in the police ‘journey? This tragic event could therefore also be a starting point for a broader reflection on the values and practices that govern the interactions between the State and its citizens.
** A collective responsibility **
The responses to this tragedy cannot be limited to only legal bodies. They must initiate all the actors of society, including the media, civil society and government institutions, in a collective reflection on the way of building a culture of responsibility and respect for rights.
While the trial continues, it is essential to remember that each decision taken and each act posed in this process have the potential to contribute to the clarification of the facts. A complete transparency around this case could not only serve as a lesson for the future, but also to offer a framework for the discussion on how to better supervise the relationships between authorities and populations.
** Conclusion: Towards an assumed future **
The death of Fiston Kabeya is both a personal tragedy and a revealer of dysfunctions within institutions. If this case highlights the possible abuses in police authority, it also presents an opportunity to initiate a necessary dialogue on the means of preventing such incidents in the future.
It is crucial to learn errors from the past, to build bridges between the different entities of society and to promote real respect for human rights. The future of the Democratic Republic of Congo depends on the capacity of its citizens to come together around common values, based on dignity, responsibility and humanity.